Rail.



T. H. MATHIAS.

. RAIL. APPLICATION FILED DEC-12,1914v RENEWED DEC. 13,1918.

Patented June 17, 1919.

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THOMAS MATHIAS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR TO LACKAWANNA STEEL COMPANY, OF LACKAWAN N A, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

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Patented June 17, 1919.

Application filed December 12, 1914, Serial No. 876,786. Renewed December 13, 1918. Serial No. 266,652.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. MA'rHIAs,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rails, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rolled steel rails and consists of a rail of improved manu facture wherein the defective surface is removed from the head and base, so that, at those points, the high carbon steel extends completely to the external surface of the rail resulting in a surface of greatly improved quality and finish. As is well understood, rails produced under present day practice show a superficial skin or oxidized surface substantially lower in carbon than the body of the rail. This superficial skin is well defined; it is probably formed in the soaking pit where an oxidizing atmosphere prevails and the conditions are such'that a thick oXid is always formed on the surface of the ingot. This skin becomes thinner during the rolling down of the rail but is still present in the finished rail, varying in degree of thickness from 1/100 to 1/6 of an inch or even deeper. This skin is a source of weakness and is highly objectionable for it offers a softer surface to wear. Furthermore, as the shape is rolled, seams develop in this skin, said seams extending longitudinally, differing in extent in steels of different qualities and different rollings, and of varying lengths, from a fraction of an inch to several inches. These seams may result from blow-holes or from scale rolled in, but whatever may be the cause they are always present in the finished rail, more or less, and are a source of wealmess. Many attempts have been made to reduce or overcome these seams by improvements in the composition of the steel, methods of heating and of rolling but never with entire success and they have come to be looked on as inevitable more or less. Furthermore the softer condition of the surface was objectionable as aforesaid.

The result of these defects so far as the head was concerned was failure by reason of the metal crushing, battering and flowing; and so far as the'base, in broken sections and broken flanges, particularly in the common crescent breaks.

The failure in the head was principally My invention consists in the production,

as a new article of manufacture, of a rail from the head and the base of which the surface has been removed to eliminate the defective surfaces and thereby to increase the life of the rail and to overcome the great defects referred to existing in rails as made by usual practice.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein the reference numerals of this description are applied to corresponding parts in the several views. Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of my improved rail structure. Figs. 2 and 3 are views showing the seams in a partially rolled rail. In Fig. 3 the seams have been removed on the upper and lower surfaces thereafter the bar is rolled down into the rail and said surfaces are further improved under the action of the rolls which condense and harden the surface metal. Figs. 4 and 5 show crescent breaks in a rail flange; Fig. 6 shows how these breaks start from the seams and illustrates a rail head that has begun to flow.

Referring to the drawing I have shown a standard rail section composed of the head 1, web 2 and base flange 3 and comprising the features of my invention whereby the metal of high carbon content is exposed at the upper portion of the rail head to provide the improved bearing surface 4., better to resist the wearing action of the rolling stock thereon, and also extended to the surface at the central base portion 5 as indicated.

As described my improved rail may desirably be produced by the removal of the superficial skin or partially decarburized surface metal during the process of rolling thereby permitting the removal of the skin without affecting the completed form or configuration of the bar and, as described, further improving the surface metal in the finishing passes of the rolls. In Figs. 2 and 3 is shown a section of a partially rolled bar respectively before and after the defective surface is cut away from the head and the base. and illustrating how my im proved rail is best produced by an intermediate step in rolling.

In Figs. 4: and 5 I have illustrated crescent breaks of the character above referred to and in Fig. 6 are shown the base cracks which develop from the seams and also how the softer skin on the heads flows or shells oif in long, ragged fragments. These defects are remedied by forming the rail as shown in Fig. 1 wherein such defective surfaces are absent upon the surfaces 4 and 5 as indicated.

I have thus produced a rail in which the partially decarburized and seamy surface is eliminated from the portions of the rail where such defective surface would be most objectionable and would tend to cause failure and fracture with consequent danger of accidents. It is also an important feature of my rail that the high carbon and non seamy steel of the interior of the bar sometimes called true steel, is finished for the bearing surface of the rail. The strength of rails is and has been heretofore calculated on true steel, but on account of the seams and the partially decarburized surface skin, the calculated result is never attained. In my improved rail the true result may be approximated. The improved bearing sur face of the rail head results in a material gain in the durabilityof the rail and the absence of seams in the base portions is a valuable gain in safety.

My improved rail may be produced b the process of my application Ser. No. 70 ,000 but I do not propose to limit myself thereto for 'I desire to protect my improved rail with all its important advantages by whatever process it may be manufactured.

Having described my invention I clain1 1. A steel rail having the partially decarburized and seamy surface removed from end to end of the bearing surface of the head and the higher carbon steel of the interior there exposed on the surface.

2. A steel rail having the partially decarburized and seamy surface removed throughout its length at the central portion of the base andthe higher carbon steel of throughout its length a surface exposure of the non-defective, higher carbon steel of the interior, roll finished, as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THO-MAS HERBERT MATHIAS.

WVitnesses WALTER J. BRYAN, JOHN F. SIEGELQ Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

